Pentagon Slapped On Wrist...watches

July 27, 1985|United Press International

WASHINGTON — The Army found its timing may have been off when it offered free wristwatches as a lure to potential recruits.

Army recruiters thought they had a good idea when they mailed form letters to potential enlistees six weeks ago offering a free wristwatch to anyone who sent back an enclosed reply card. They expected 80,000 responses.

What they got, along with some genuine responses, were complaints from the public and members of Congress that the Army was spending too much money on gimmicks to sign up recruits -- especially at a time of big deficits.

So, no more free watches.

Each watch carried a price tag of $1.40, an Army spokesman said.

``But the perception was that we were giving out something of greater intrinsic value than it was really worth in order to get recruits,`` a spokesman said.

One of the complaints came from a 67-year-old Manhattan woman who wrote to her congressman, Rep. Ted Weiss, D-N.Y., after receiving a wristwatch offer. Her name was on the Army`s mailing list by mistake.

Weiss wrote to Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger demanding an explanation about ``how this could possibly be a prudent and responsible use of our nation`s resources,`` Army officials said.

Rep. Les Aspin, D-Wis., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, also inquired. He was satisfied with the Army`s use of its recruitment budget, they said.

Of the $94 million in this year`s advertising budget for the active and reserve forces, $1.1 million will be spent on direct mail campaigns of the kind that offer wristwatches.

``We dropped it (the wristwatch offer) because it was more trouble than it was worth and too much time was spent explaining this to congressmen,`` a marketing officer said.